High Speed Rail – HS2

• This is a government proposal to run a high speed rail line from London Euston to Birmingham which will possibly save 15 – 20 minutes journey time.
• Various estimates put the current cost around £30 billion which makes it an extraordinary proposal when the country is heavily in debt.
• Existing trains provide a similar service at much lower carbon production ie it is not green or innovative.
• It will devastate large areas of countryside and will be extremely noisy.

IT WILL RUN RIGHT OVER HOAC AND THROUGH THE LAKE.

HOAC WILL BE DESTROYED!

 http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/353

N.B. You don't have to live in the areas affected to sign

Save Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre

STOP HS2

NO  business case
NO environmental case
NO money to pay for it
Let your MP know what you think 

The Government is currently consulting on its plans to build a High Speed Railway from London to Birmingham. This will cost a huge amount of money and devastate the countryside.
From our point of view this will mean the end of HOAC as the plans include a 13m high viaduct through the centre, draining and infilling the lake. There are large numbers of groups fighting this project and some of the arguments are listed below. For us the facts do not add up to justifying £33 billion especially when there are cuts everywhere and hospitals are being closed.
The only way to stop this going ahead is to make politicians aware of your views – they will be after your vote in a few years – so please take the trouble to write or e-mail as many MP’s as you can but especially your local MP. Hillingdon Council are also fighting HS2, not least because it will devastate Hillingdon with the disruption of very major building projects for the foreseeable future with no benefits to Hillingdon – you need to go to Birmingham or Euston to access the train! By the time new access roads and the railway have been built through much of Hillingdon’s green belt it will so degraded as to be vulnerable to developers.
Why Stop HS2
There is no business case
Costs exceed benefits: government assumes a growth in demand for rail travel several times higher than the industry forecasts: it will not solve the North South divide: it is entirely at the tax payers risk – private industry would not invest in such a project: HS1 to France was a financial failure so no lessons have been learned: there are better  alternatives – cheaper and quicker to implement which are more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable: it takes no account of the damage to local rail services and economies – see www.stophs2.org.
There is no environmental case
No environmental impact assessment has been carried out: it is not a low carbon solution – high speed demands high energy consumption: there is a huge environmental impact: it increases energy demand that cannot be met by renewable energy alone: it will reduce productive  farmland, impact flood plains and wildlife habitats (including SSSI sites): it will cause major noise pollution. 
There is no money to pay for it.
Britain has serious financial problems – the money will need to be borrowed to pay for it: it is not considered a spending priority by most people living in Britain: it will suck investment from local rail and transport services: it will benefit very few people – it is targeted at the wealthier business user: it will commit future generations to massive subsidies and increased national dept.
More information available from www.stophs2.org and numerous other sites.
The deadline to have your say is July 2011 with a decision December 2011 – there is every indication that the government plan to go ahead regardless – so everyone must make their views heard.
There is also an on line petition at www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-hs2.html

www.parliament.co.uk for all MP’s addresses.
 Key MP’s involved are : 
-Philip Hammond - Secretary of State for Transport
-Theresa Villiers - Minister of State for Transport
-Norman Baker - Paliamentary under-secretary of state for transport
-Transport committee members - Mrs Louise Ellman; Steve baker; Tom Harris; Julie Hilling; Kelvin Hopkins; Kwasi Kwarteng; John Leech; paul Maynard; Gavin Shuker; Iain Stewart; Julian Sturdy

contact information

Philip Hammond:
 Runnymede, Spelthorne and Weybridge, Conservative Association, 55 Cherry Orchard, Staines, TW18 2DQ
Tel: 01784 453544
Fax: 01784 466109
office@runnymedeweybridgeconservatives.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.runnymedeweybridgeconservatives.com

Theresa Villiers:
163 High Street, Barnet, EN5 5SU
Tel: 020 8449 7345
Fax: 020 8449 7346
theresa@theresavilliers.co.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Norman Baker:
 23 East Street, Lewes, BN7 2LJ
Tel: 01273 480281
Fax: 01273 480287
normanbaker@cix.co.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mrs Louise Ellman:
515 The Cotton Exchange Building, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9LQ
lloydju@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tom Harris:
c/o Lesser Hampden, Somerville Drive, Mount Florida, Glasgow, G42 9BA
campbelld@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ms Julie Hilling:
The Old Surgery, 108 Market Street, Westhoughton, BL5 3AZ
Tel: 01942 813468
julie.hilling.mp@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kelvin Hopkins:
3 Union Street, Luton, LU1 3AN
hopkinsp@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mr Kwasi Kwarteng
Spelthorne Conservative Association, 55 Cherry Orchard, Staines, TW18 2SQ
kwasi.kwarteng.mp@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

John Leech:
8 Gawsworth Avenue, East Didsbury, Manchester, M20 5NF
leechj@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Paul Maynard:
16 Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 1PD
paul.maynard.mp@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gavin Shuker:
c/o Luton Labour Party, 3 Union Street, Luton, LU1 3AN
Tel: 01582 457774
office@gavinshuker.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Iain Stewart:
Suite 102, Milton Keynes Business Centre, Foxhunter Drive, Linford Wood, MK14 6GD
Tel: 01908 686830Fax: 01908 686831
iain.stewart.mp@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Julian Sturdy:
York Conservatives, 1 Ash Street, York, YO26 4ZB
Tel: 01904 784847
julian@juliansturdy.co.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Local MP’s are:
John Randall (Uxbridge/ South Ruislip):
John Randall MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AATelephone: 020 7219 6885
Email: randallj@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Nick Hurd (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Westminster Office:
020 7219 1053
Constituency Office:
01923 822 876
email: hurdn@parliament.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it If this goes ahead it will not only be disastrous for HOAC and Hillingdon but the whole country which will be saddled with a hugely expensive white elephant, albeit a fast one!Below you will find two pre-written letters you can send to your local MPLetter to Nick HurdLetter to John Randall

 
Jeff Creak
Centre Principal